Steering device for motor-vehicles.



1). ROBERTS & 0. JAMES. STEERING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1908. 910,232. Patented Jan.19,1909.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

I). ROBERTS & 0. JAMES.

STEERING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED MARIE, 1908.

D. ROBERTS & 0. JAMES.

STEERING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.14, 190B,

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Q \LVAVAUMNWMQW U K D. ROBERTS & 0. JAMES. STEERING DEVIGE FOR MOTORVEHICLES.

APPLIOAiION IILED 'MAR. 14, 1908.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

4 SHEBTSSHEET 4.

DAVID ROBERTS AND CHARLES JAMES, OF GRANTHAM, ENGLAND;

STEERING DEVICE FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. '19, 1909.

Application filed March 14, 1908. Serial No. 421,174.

The method described in the aforesaid former specification of steeringby hand power has been found in practice not to be sufiiciently powerfuland quick in operation for heavy traction engines and heavy motorvehicles when running on diflicult ground or in diflicult positions, andthe object of our present invention is to overcome these defects. Tothis end we employ, in conjunction with a modified type of the -hand-steering gear, power steering gear actuated by compressed air or gas.

To enable the invention to befully understood, We will describe .it byreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a road loco- 30. motive having the improvements appliedthereto; Fig. 2 is an end view thereof with a part of the self-laidtracks removed to show the steering mechanism. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection drawn to a larger scale of the distributing valve for thecompressed air or gas. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view thereof, andFigs. 5 and 6 are a section and a lan view respectively of a detailthcreofp igs. 7 and 8 are a side view and an end view respectively of amodified form of the steergear.

eferring first to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6- (1represents the road locomotive, b the self-laid tracks thereof, and c,othe sprocket wheels for driving the said tracks, t e construction ofthe vehicle being similar to that described in the specification offormer patent No. 16345 of 1904. The rear sprocket wheel 0 on each sideof the vehicle is formed with a brake-ring or wheel (1 around whichpasses a brake-band e, the ends of this brake-band being connectedrespectively to two arms f, f upon a bellbrake cylinder h; thebell-crank lever f, f f 2 beingrotatably mounted upon a short shaft orstud i laterally projecting from the vehicle. The compressed air or gascontrolling the power brakes h is supplied from a reser: voir j, whichis maintained stored with air at the requisite pressure by means of thepump 1' actuated from the crank shaft 9' of the motor driving thelocomotive through the pipe 1' connecting the pump 3' with the reservoir3'. From the reservoir j the compressed air passes through the pipe isto the distributing valve Z, which supplies the said air to, and allowsit to exhaust from, the two power brake cylinders h.

The construction of the distributing valve Z is shown in detail in Figs.3 to 6 and it comprises the casing m having a cover m and within whichis rotatably mounted the disk-valve m, the said disk-valve being keyedupon the s indle 0 which extends upward through a hearing 0 forming partof the cover m and having keyed upon its upper projecting end ahand-wheel 0 by turning which the said disk-valve is turned within thecasing m. The upper face of the diskvalve n is formed with two segmentalchannels or grooves n", n and with a port n extending completely throughit and the cover m of the casing is provided with two exhaust ports p, pand with two discharge nozzles g, g which are connected respectively bymeans of the pipes 1', r to the right and left hand brake cylinders h.The pipe 7c from the air reservoir opens into the interior of the casingm, as shown at k. The casing m is mounted upon the bracket m fixed totheframe work of the locomotive. The operation of this part of thesteering gear is as follows, that is to say, assuming that thehand-wheel 0 be turned into the position indicated in Figs. 3 and 4compressed air from the reservoir passes through the pipe is into thecasing m and thence flows throu h the ort n in the diskvalve n throughthe disc argenozzle and through the plpe 1" into the right han brakecylinder h so as to force the piston therein downwards thereby turningthe bell-crank lever f, f f 2 in the direction of the arrow Fig. '1, andap lying the brake-band on the right hand rake- Y voir may be keptcharged by some of the gasses from the explosion or.

vehicle.

the two tightening e1 irespectlvely upon their brake-wheels d.

exhaust port p. By turning the and-wheel 0? still further the orifice nm the disk-Valve n is brought into coincidence with the outlet nozzle gso that com ressed air is then supplied to the left han cylinder in amanner similar to, that above described with res ect to the right handcylinder h. The vehic e is then steered in the opposite direction and bturning the hand-wheel 0 in, the reverse direction, 'and that is to say,in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow, Fig. 4, thecompressed air in the left hand cylinder can be exhausted through theexhaust port 11 By adjusting the hand-wheel 0 so that 1t occupies aposition intermediate of ositions a brake cy lindersh, h are bothrendered inoperative. It will be obvious that in lieu' of the compressedair, provided by means of a separate pump, for actuating the powerbrakes we may make use of the compressed air or gas wh ch is used forstarting engines of the internal combustion t e when such are employedfor t e vehicle. This reserby-passing ower stroke of the motor..Furthermore, or the purpose of economizing power when the reservolr ischarged to a redetermined pressure the pump, when suc isused, may

e fitted with an automatic unloadin device of any well-known type. Eachof t e bellcrank levers f f, f 2 is also provided with an arm f which isconnected by means of a link s having a slotted end. 3- .5 The slottedend of each of'the levers engages an arm upon a shaft tv extendingtransversely across the The arm t on the said shaft upon one side of thevehicle extends downwards relatively with the said transverse shaftwhilethe arm 72 on the other side of the vehicle extends in an upwarddirection. The cross shaft t has also keyed upon it a leveru whichconnected by means of a link a I with an arm a of a bell-crank leverpivotally mounted at u to a bracket to fixed to the vehicle frame. Theother arm 'u, of this bellcrank lever is formed with a nut which engageswith a screw '0 upon a spindle provided with a hand-wheel v and mountedin a' bracket '0 With this construction it will be obvious that byturning the hand-wheel v the lever and link. gear;is operated so as toactuate the bell-crank levers f, f, f thereby and loosening the brakebands e,

oove. or channel n" in the ove referred to the two order thatthe powerbrakes may be applied independently of the hand brakes;

In the construction illustratedin Figs. 7 and 8 the hand and ower brakesare arranged to-act indepen ently of one another. To this end each ofthe driving sprocke' wheels 0 at the rear of the ,vehicle is formed withtwo brake drums or wheels (1, (1 the brake drums at being provided withthe-bands e, e actuated byv the power cylinders h, as above described,while the brake drums (1 receive the bands e e which are controlledthrough the medium 'of bell-cranks c by the hand power mechanism fromthe cross shaft t in the manner above described. In other res ects thisconstruction is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 6. 1 Although in thedrawings the driving sprocket wheels are shown as the rear wheels itwill be understood that the driving wheels may be the front wheels orvlvheels arranged at the middle of the trac s.

-- Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of oursaid invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, wedeclare that what we claim is 1. In a motor vehicle, the combinationwith a self laid track on each side .of the same, of independent drivingwheels engaging and operating said tracks, a separate brake -mechanismfor the driving wheel of each track, actuating mechanisms operated by anexpansive fluid, operatively connected with said brake mechanisms, and ahand operated controlling v mechanisms, substantially as described.

2. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a self laid track on eachside of the same, of independent driving wheels engaging and operatingsaid tracks, a separate brake mechanism for the driving wheel of eachtrack, actuating mechanisms operated by an expansive fluid, operativelyconnectedwith said brake mechanisms, a hand operated controllingmechanism for said actuat ing mechanisms comprising a distributing valvecontrolling the supply of fluid to said cylinders, and means foractuating said valve,

substantially as described.-

3. In a motor vehicle, the combination mechanism for said actuating witha self laid track on each side of the same,

of independent driving Wheels engagin and operating said tracks, aseparate %rake mechanism for the driving wheel of each track, actuatingmechanisms operated by an expansive fluid, operatively connected withsald brake mechamsms, a hand operated controlling mechanism for saidactuating mechanisms, a separate hand 0 erated device and directconnections there rom to the said. brake mechanisms, whereby the lattermay be operated entirely desired, substantially as described.

4. A motor vehicle provided on" each side by hand or by power as f witha self laid track, a driving wheel for device, and connections therefromto said 10 each of said tracks, a brake band for each of band operatinglever, substantially as desaid Wheels, a lever for operating each ofsaid scribed.

bands, a separate power cylinder connected I DAVID ROBERTS. 5 to each ofsald levers a controllmg valve .connected with both of said cylinders, asup- CHARLES JAMES ply pipe for compressed fluid connected withWitnesses: said valve, a hand operated device for con- WALTER HAYNES,

trolling said valve, a separate hand operated SAMUEL WILLIAM PAYNE.

